


Remember all, Remember none

by glittergelpens



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Aurors, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Obliviation, Post-Hogwarts, Remembrall, Secret Relationship, Temporary Amnesia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2016-07-28
Packaged: 2018-07-26 23:15:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 7,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7594195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glittergelpens/pseuds/glittergelpens
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry and Draco have been dating for some time now, unbeknownst to their friends; the weight of what they might say when told weighs crushingly on their thoughts as their selected 'coming out' day gets nearer and nearer on the calendar. </p><p>That is, until Draco goes into the field and is hit with a weak Obliviate spell. Harry is left being the only person who knows about what they are- about what they were- but the weight off of Draco's shoulders is too tangible for Harry to place it back on. He can deal with it, he can get over it- for Draco. </p><p>Meanwhile, Draco stares down his Remembrall, wondering when the fog- both in the ball and in his mind- will finally clear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Lazy Sunday morning sunlight ambled in through Harry’s bedroom window, cloaking he and Draco in soft light. Draco stirred and nudged Harry awake, who snorted and tried to burrow himself under the blanket to avoid the sun. Draco chuckled.  
“Get up, you lazy sod,” he teased, ruffling the dark hair that remained above the sheets. Harry groaned and wrapped an arm around Draco’s midriff.  
“I don’t want to get up,” he whined. “I wanna stay here with you.” Draco smiled and rolled his eyes.  
“Oh, how romantic,” he drawled. "Too bad I’ve got to get ready for work.” He pushed Harry’s limbs off of him and sat up, swinging his feet over the edge of the bed. Harry pouted, propping himself up on his elbows.  
“Hey, get back here. I can barely even see your face from here,” he complained with a yawn. Draco smirked.  
“That’s because you have the eyes of a ninety year old, and you’re half asleep. Your glasses are on the bedside table,” Draco said with a yawn. He stood, grabbing his pajama bottoms from the floor and slipping them on. He stepped forward a few paces, facing the calendar that hung on the wall. Snatching a marker from Harry’s nearby desk, he drew a large ‘X’ over the day’s date. Harry had by now stumbled out of bed, slipped on his pants and glasses, and joined Draco. Draco sighed. “Three days,” he remarked. Harry wrapped his arms around Draco’s waist and raised himself to his tip toes to place his chin on his shoulder.  
“Yeah,” he mumbled. The next Saturday on the calendar had “CLASS REUNION” scratched onto it in purple ink. Harry could feel the tenseness in Draco’s muscles and sighed. “It’ll be fine, Draco. They won’t think any less of us, we’ll be fine,” he coaxed, taking his chin from the boy’s shoulder and rubbing them instead.  
“But- how do you know that? What if they hate us for it?” he mumbled.  
“For what? Loving one another?”  
“Well- yes, actually!” Draco cried. Harry pulled Draco closer, circling him with his arms again.  
“Shh. It’ll be okay, and if anyone says otherwise, we can hex them into next month,” Harry reassured. Draco frowned.  
“Yeah, I suppose,” he complied. Harry smiled and pressed a kiss to Draco’s shoulder.  
“Now run along, you’ve got to be at work soon,” Harry smiled, punctuating his statement with a light smack to Draco’s behind. Draco laughed and smacked his arm playfully before sauntering past him.  
“Yeah, yeah. You and your bloody days off,” Draco said with a sarcastic eye roll.  
“I love you,” Harry called to Draco’s retreating figure. Draco paused and shot him a grin over his shoulder.  
“Yes, I know. And I love you, too.”

\--

“Harry?” echoed a familiar voice through Harry’s house. Harry nearly dropped the book he’d been reading.  
“Er- Hermione?” he called back, marking his spot and setting the book down.  
“Harry! I’ve got my head in the fireplace!” she replied with a laugh. Harry walked into the living room, seeing his friend’s face peering back at him and sitting down with a smile.  
“What’s new?” he asked, fiddling with the fringe on his carpet.  
“Er- you’ve been friends with Draco lately, right?” she inquired. He frowned.  
“Uh, yeah. Why?” he asked, paling slightly. _Does she know? She shouldn’t know yet, we haven’t told-_  
“Ah, I was afraid so. Well, he was working today, and he’s got hit with a weak version of the Obliviate spell..” Harry felt as though ice water had been dumped over him. “...you might have to pop into St. Mungo’s, show him your face, toss him a few bones to get him up to speed,” she admitted with a frown. Harry’s heart hammered at his ribcage.  
“I’ll be right over.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Harry!” called Hermione, waving him over. Harry sped over to where his two best friends were standing, his fingernails biting into the palms of his hands.   
“Hey! What happened? What’s up, is he alright?” Harry demanded, feeling his chest twist and clench with worry.   
“He’s fine,” assured Ron. “He’s just out of it. We’re partners at the Ministry, you know- we were hunting this guy down, and we thought we had him, but he hit Malfoy with some rip off of Obliviate,” he explained. “Lucky for us, it’s a super weak version. He remembered me on sight.”   
“Doesn’t seem to remember me at all, though,” admitted Hermione with a sigh. “You said that you two are friends now though, yeah? Just go jog his memory, no way he’d be able to forget you,” She added with a smile. Harry nodded and opened the door. He took a few steps in, seeing Draco lying on his back with Pansy sat on the side of his bed. They were laughing about something until Pansy noticed him.   
“Oh! Draco, look! Here’s another one!” She pointed at Harry, seeming excited. Harry felt his heart plummet as Draco took his time mulling over his appearance. “Come on now, this is an easy one,” prodded Pansy. _No shit,_ Harry thought. Draco pulled his lower lip between his teeth, pondering for a moment.   
“Oh! I’ve got it! You’re Potter!” he exclaimed, seeming ecstatic. Harry felt ready to fall through the floor. _He hasn’t called me Potter in years._ Pansy clapped with a laugh.   
“Right again!” she cried.   
“I am on a ROLL!” Draco said, pumping his fist into the air.   
“So, ah.. what’s the last you remember of me, then?” Harry asked tentatively. _Please, please, please._ Draco pursed his lips.   
“Er, lesse.. Train ride home? End of eighth year?” Draco estimated with a wiggle of his hand. To Harry, it was the equivalent of a slap in the face. _Five years. I’ve lost five years of him._ Draco furrowed his brows. “Why, what’s happened since then?” he asked, looking confused. Pansy’s smile had vanished.   
And suddenly, Harry was back twelve hours. Back with his hands on Draco’s shoulders, trying and failing to ease Draco’s horrible anxiety that their relationship was causing him. Back in bed, with Draco’s silver eyes holding nothing but affection for him, even after all they’d been through in and out of school.   
Harry let out a nervous laugh. _This is my only chance to give back for everything you’ve done for me._  
“Well, we’ve been fairly good friends for a while now.” _For loving me._ “A few cups of coffee..” _For caring for me._ “..a couple pints..” _For risking your reputation._ “..you haven’t missed much.” _And for suffering because of me._ Harry felt the lie squirm off of his tongue like a slug. And suddenly, it was out. It was decided. His fate was sealed. Harry felt ready to die.   
But then Draco nodded. He pursed his lips and squinted his eyes a little. “Alright,” he said. “Sorry I can’t remember right now. I’ll work on it,” he apologized.   
_He’s free._  
Draco picked up a piece of parchment and a quill, mumbling as he added two things to his list. “Coffee with Potter.. Pints with Potter.. I’ll try to bring it back around.”  
 _He’s got a weight off of his shoulders, and he doesn’t even know it._  
“When I get a hold of it, I’ll let you know. Maybe once I’m out of here, we can go for a cup of coffee or a pint and try to trigger something?” Draco asked, smiling apologetically. Harry nodded, feigning nonchalance.   
“Sounds good to me.” _I did it. I helped him._ “Just send me an owl and I’ll set aside a day.” Draco smiled.   
“See you then.”  
“Or at work.”  
“We work together? Shit. I’ll add that to the list. Sorry.”  
“It’s fine, I understand. Well.. bye.”  
“See you around.”

Harry had taken the weight from Draco’s shoulders and added it to his own. But for now, he could deal with it. For Draco.


	3. Chapter 3

Draco stared at the ceiling, listlessly swirling circles across his ‘Things To Remember’ parchment with his quill. It had been eerily silent since Pansy left, and Draco couldn’t help but wonder how many chunks of his life were still missing. Suddenly, the door swung open and a familiar face stepped in.   
“Goyle!” Draco said happily. Goyle smiled.   
“Draco! You remember me!” he laughed. Draco chuckled.   
“Yeah, I gathered most of that together myself. Well- okay, so Pansy helped, but I’ve been building off of what she helped with,” Draco admitted. Goyle nodded.   
“Makes sense. Hey, I brought you something,” he revealed, reaching into a plastic bag he’d brought in. He pulled out a crystal orb with a golden band around it, white fog swirling curiously inside. He dropped it into Draco’s hands. As soon as it brushed Draco’s fingers, the fog turned a deep red. Draco started slightly, examining it closely.   
“Thanks, but.. what is it?” he asked, looking cluelessly back to Goyle. Goyle’s face dropped slightly. “Ah, shit, I should remember it, shouldn’t I?” he asked. Goyle pursed his lips and nodded. Draco sighed and turned the orb, examining it from all angles. He saw a small engraving on the edge of the golden band;  
_To Neville, from Grandma_  
And it all came back to him.   
“Oh, oh my god!” Draco cried happily. Goyle’s smile nearly split his face in two.   
“So you remember?” he asked.   
“Hell yes! God, it’s ironic that I’d forget a remembrall,” Draco laughed. “Especially the one we stole off of Longbottom in- what, first year? Second year?” he asked, looking to Goyle for confirmation.   
“First year,” he confirmed. Draco nodded.   
“Wow, yeah. This.. brings back memories.. Literally, wow, okay, I think I just remembered most of first year,” he said with a laugh, setting the remembrall in his lap and rubbing his temples.   
“I thought you’d like to have it, so you’ll.. y’know. Know when you’ve got it all.” Draco smiled.   
“Thanks, Goyle. This.. means a lot.”

\--

“Pansy, this is driving me up the wall. What am I still missing!?” Draco exclaimed, raking his fingers angrily through his hair. Pansy shrugged, uninterested.   
“I don’t know, you dumb sod. If that thing’s still red after it’s been a few months, maybe whatever you’ve not remembered isn’t at all important. Or maybe you forgot to fold your pants this morning. Or, how’s about this- maybe it’s broken. It did get chucked up through the air first year, yeah? And Potter nabbed it? You never know,” she proposed. Draco snorted.   
“It’s not broken. It was perfectly clear when Goyle was holding it, and turned red as soon as I touched it. I’m still missing something,” he groaned. Pansy pursed her lips.   
“Hmmm. What about Potter? Did you remember everything about your friendship with Potter? That was on the list, right?” she asked. Draco shook his head.   
“No, no, that all came back to me just a couple days after he stopped by, remember?”  
“Ah, that’s right. My bad. I thought that was something else.”  
“Maybe Goyle should have given YOU the Remembrall,” Draco said with a snicker that turned into a laugh as Pansy smacked him on the arm. 

\--

Meanwhile, Harry stood in his bedroom, drawing a large X over the day’s date on his calendar. _100 days. 100 days since I lost him._ Harry tried, and failed, to swallow the lump in his throat before capping the marker and starting to get ready for his plans with Ron.


	4. Chapter 4

Even in the din of the pub, every other voice Harry heard sounded like Draco’s. Every other head of blonde hair was his, and all of the shined black shoes belonged to him. It was driving Harry mad. After about five minutes of sitting around, finally Ron arrived and plopped down in the bar stool next to him.   
“Hey, mate, sorry I’m a bit late. I lost track of time,” he admitted. Harry smiled.   
“Nah, it’s fine. I haven’t been here long,” he replied, his feet tapping one another anxiously as another voice snagged his attention for a split second before he brought himself back to reality.   
“So, whaddaya want to start? On me- you wanna start real slow with a butterbeer, get some firewhiskey, get smashed quick with knotgrass mead, or..” Ron began listing off the other alcoholic beverages that were available, but Harry was stuck on firewhiskey. More specifically, the firewhiskey bottle that had been passed between him and Draco at Harry’s house while they listened to music, and the heavy taste of it that had been in his first kiss with Draco. He groaned.   
“Butterbeer. I just need some Butterbeer,” he decided, rubbing his eyes. Ron gave him a concerned look before telling the bartender. As he slid Harry’s tankard over to him, he gave Harry a strange look.   
“Hey, are you alright?” he asked, nudging Harry lightly with his elbow. Harry forced a smile.   
“Never been better,” he lied. Ron seemed to know better than that, but didn’t push it. 

\--

Later that night, the two were still only buzzed because of Harry’s refusal to drink anything other than Butterbeer and Ron not wanting to get wasted on his basically-sober friend. Harry had relaxed considerably, but was still obviously upset to Ron. Ron sighed and decided to try again.   
“Harry,” he started. Harry lifted an eyebrow.   
“Yeah?”   
“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong now?”  
“What- nothing’s wrong, Ron. I’m fine.”   
“Bullshit.”  
“Ron-”  
“Harry, I know when you’re upset, and you’ve been moping for months. Are you going to tell me why you’re living your life like a kicked puppy or not?”  
“...Is it really that obvious?”  
“Clear as day to me,” Ron admitted with a shrug. Harry groaned and buried his face in his hands.   
“I- Alright. I’ll tell you. But this is a secret. Top secret. Nobody can know, and I’m serious. Not Hermione, not Nev, and _especially_ not Draco-”  
“I promise,” Ron cut across.   
“I.. what?” Harry asked, confused.   
“To keep it secret, you dimwit,” Ron explained with a grin.   
“Oh, right. Shit. Okay- I..” Harry stopped. “I don’t even know where to start.” Ron groaned.   
“From the beginning, maybe?” Ron suggested sarcastically. Harry rolled his eyes.   
“Okay, fine, fine. Uh, shit- Ron, first off, I’m kinda gay?” Harry stuttered, phrasing it as a question. Ron choked on his Butterbeer.   
“I- okay, didn’t see _that_ coming. But that’s fine. All.. _fuck_. All fine,” he said with a wave of the hand. “Continue to your gay woes.” Harry laughed.   
“I.. alright. So I was seeing this guy. And, uh, nobody else knew. But.. Fuck, I really can’t tell this without telling you who it was,” he broke off, rubbing the back of his neck. Ron shrugged.   
“So tell me, then. I won’t let anyone know, remember,” Ron said, miming locking his mouth shut and tossing the key into the crowd. Harry covered his face with his hands.   
“Shit. Okay. Uhm. I was with Draco.”  
Ron didn’t move.   
He took in a breath to speak, but stopped.   
He thought for a moment.   
And then he spoke.   
“Okay. Not what I was expecting. Very much not what I was expecting,” Ron admitted, dragging a hand down his face. “That’s. Wow. Okay. Draco?.. _Merlin_ ,” he muttered under his breath. “Alright. Your non judgemental best friend is okay with this and asks you to continue your story,” he forced out. Harry almost laughed.   
“I.. well, okay. We were together for about two months. Nobody knew. We were going to tell everybody at once to get it over with, at the class reunion. But…” Harry stopped. His chest twisted back into a knot and his throat closed. He pursed his lips and his entire body tensed.   
“The spell,” Ron continued for him, seeing the pieces fall into place.   
“Th-.. Yes. The spell,” Harry confirmed. He covered his mouth with a hand and turned his gaze out to the mass of people, feeling his eyes water. The knot in his chest seemed to be slowly twisting up his throat, like a serpent winding around a caduceus. Harry found he couldn’t speak, and then realized that he was crying as Ron reached around and put an arm around him. Harry took off his glasses, crossed his arms and buried his face, feeling his body shake as Ron slowly rubbed his back. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck,” he muttered under his breath. He picked himself up and angrily wiped his eyes off. “Fuck- it’s been months and I’m not okay. I should be okay. I should be okay by now, but I’m fucking _not_ -” he rambled, shoving the balls of his hands into his eyes to stem the flow of tears.   
“Why can’t you just tell him? That’s got to be bound to trigger something,” Ron suggested, still diligently rubbing his hand between Harry’s shoulder blades. Harry shook his head.   
“No. No, I don’t _want_ him to remember. You should’ve seen him whenever he thought about telling someone- he was a wreck. I was _wrecking_ him. He was _so_ fucking anxious, and _so_ stressed, he couldn’t look at the damned calendar without nearly shaking. He wasn’t okay. So I just- when I was in there, in his hospital room, I fucking decided to let him go. I told myself that I would get over him eventually, and I told him that we were friends. Fucking _friends_. Fucking- I don’t regret it, I just- _dammit_ , I’m not over him, Ron,” he groaned, punctuating his declaration with a violent shake. Ron felt horrible seeing his friend so upset, but knew he couldn’t fix what was wrong. Ron nudged Harry’s shoulder, urging him off of the counter.   
“C’mon, Harry. It’s alright, yeah? Let’s head back to yours and play some games to cheer you up a little,” he suggested. Harry nodded, not trusting his voice, and snatched his glasses from the counter as they left.


	5. Chapter 5

The next week, Harry had a revelation. _How did that saying go again? Out of sight, out of mind?_ He did a quick spin in his office chair, glancing over the nearby offices. A small plaque reading MALFOY / WEASLEY was attached to a door that he could see from his seat- _Maybe I can’t forget about him because I see him almost every day,_ he thought. And then it hit him. _What if I got transferred to a different Ministry headquarters?_ He basically ran to his boss’s office to apply for a switch. _Anything to get over him. Please._

\--

“Why Madrid, of all places?” Hermione whined. “Why not a closer one? Like Edinburgh, at least?” Harry shrugged.   
“I guess it’s because I speak Spanish,” he offered. “Besides, I’ll only be as far away as I let myself be. Floo powder’s probably going to be my best friend for a while,” he joked sadly. “But you’ll definitely see me at your guys’ wedding next month,” he added. Hermione nodded, looking around Harry’s boxed-up flat.   
“God, this is sad,” Ron groaned. “I mean, of course it’ll still be easy to stay in touch and hang out, but- blimey, Harry, Spain?” he sighed. Harry nodded.   
“Yeah, I know. I guess it’ll be nice to be a part of the culture there, though,” he pointed out. Hermione nodded.   
“Yes, I’ve always wanted to visit. I’ll have to, now that you’re going to be living there, anyways,” Hermione added. She glanced at the clock. “Oh- I’m going to be late for work! I’ve got to go, Harry, I’m sorry. Oh, I love you, do be careful-” she pulled him into a tight hug. “Owl me as soon as you’re settled and Ron and I will visit ASAP. I’ve really got to go-” she released Harry- “Goodbye! Good luck! Be safe!” she called over her shoulder as she rushed to prepare for work.   
“Bye!” Harry replied, smiling slightly. It was the only word he’d been able to get in with her talking a mile a minute. Ron watched her go, too, smiling quietly, but as soon as the door closed behind her, his demeanor changed.   
“Listen, Harry- Is this sudden move, sudden want for a different location, related to what I think it is?” he asked, worried. Harry scoffed, his eyes darting around nervously.   
“I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about,” he lied. Ron raised an eyebrow suspiciously. Harry sighed. “Okay. Yes. You’ve caught me, big deal,” he admitted, waving his hands and miming fanfare while avoiding Ron’s eyes. Ron sighed.   
“Harry… I’m really sorry about that,” he said gently. Harry slumped and dropped his hands.   
“Yeah, I.. I know. It’s alright though, Ron, really- it’s not your fault. It’s just.. going to hurt for a while, but I’ll get over it. Eventually,” he mumbled. Ron opened his arms and Harry walked into them, engulfing his friend in a big hug. “I’ll miss you,” he muttered.   
“I won’t let you,” Ron countered. “I’ll owl you constantly and stick my head in your fireplace at inappropriate times,” he promised. Harry laughed, still holding on. A brief quiet ensued before they uttered their sad goodbyes and Ron left, leaving Harry alone with his life packed up around him. He aimed one last longing look over to where he and Draco had last stood together in his bedroom before tearing his gaze away and starting to move his things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter holds a medal for containing the most in-character line I've ever written for Ron Weasley: "I won't let you, I'll owl you constantly and stick my head in your fireplace at inappropriate times."


	6. Chapter 6

“Weasley,” Draco drawled from his desk. Ron looked up from his paperwork.   
“Yeah?” he asked, spinning his chair around. Draco was leaning forward, his arms crossed on his desk and his back slumped inward. He was poking at his remembrall, which was still a vivid red.   
“Do you know what I might be missing? I don’t know why you would, but nobody else seems to,” Draco spat, rolling the ball between his hands. Ron wanted to tell him, he really did. But then he remembered Harry’s tears, his heartache and downright brokenness, and how he still didn’t want Draco to know. Ron sighed.   
“Not a clue, sorry,” he lied. Draco grunted, unsurprised. He looked over into the hall, searching for Potter’s name plaque by his door, but found that it was gone. He raised an eyebrow.   
“Potter get promoted? Or fired, or something?” he asked, pushing himself back into a sitting position. “His name plaque’s gone,” he explained. Ron shook his head.   
“Nah, he got transferred the Madrid HQ,” Ron stated, trying his hardest to feign nonchalance. _He didn’t mean to hurt your friend. He didn’t mean to hurt your friend. He doesn’t even know, Ron, calm down._  
“What!? Why did nobody _tell_ me? I thought Potter and I were, like.. _friends_ , or something,” Draco whined. _Or something is right_ , Ron added in his thoughts.   
“Well..” Ron trailed. “Stuff happens, I guess,” he shrugged awkwardly. Draco slumped back forwards dramatically, rolling the remembrall across his desk. His silver eyes tracked the swirls of red smoke questioningly.  
“Yeah,” he sighed. “Stuff happens.”

\--

Harry’s first day in Madrid had been going extremely well. His Spanish wasn’t as rusty as he’d feared, the people were nice, and his new office had a window with a view. He plopped into his office chair, giving it a whirl, and was delighted to find that it didn’t squeak like his old one had.  
He dragged his box of stuff closer to himself with his feet and flipped it open, pulling out his things. The essentials- his writing utensils, papers, and other office supplies- and then his personalization. He pulled out a few framed pictures; one of his Quidditch team at Hogwarts when he’d been captain, one of him, Ron, and Hermione, a group photo with the Weasleys before the war, and another with the Order of the Phoenix. He arranged them until he was pleased, with two on his desk, another two hanging on the wall next to him, and then reached back into his box to pull out his pencil sharpener. Instead, however, he felt another framed picture than he didn’t remember packing.   
He reached in and pulled it out, and immediately regretted it. It was a goofy picture- a selfie with Draco in which they were both sticking out their tongues- but it yanked on every one of his heartstrings and ripped his healing wound straight back open. He remembered snatching the photo off of his desk and sticking it into the box the day after Draco had been Obliviated. He sighed. _I came here to get away from him, and I literally packed him to take along without realizing it,_ he thought bitterly. He put the photograph into his bottom drawer, slamming it shut and hoping that the phrase ‘distance makes the heart grow fonder’ held no truth for him whatsoever.


	7. Chapter 7

Laughter and chatter rose and flowed through the large yard of the Burrow as a light breeze blew through, stirring leaves and skirts. Congratulations came from every direction, drowning Ron and Hermione Weasley in happy company on their wedding day. Harry wriggled out of the pack around them, having given his congratulations already, and walked out to the dance floor to find someone he knew. He ambled around, feeling more and more awkward as he couldn’t find a single person he recognized.   
“Harry!” called a voice. _Oh, thank god, I’m saved,_ he thought, turning around. Waving him over, a smile on his face, was Draco. Harry froze. Draco blinked, and waved him over again. Harry gulped and forced his legs to move, approaching Draco’s table and plopping himself into a chair across from him.   
“Ah, hey Draco,” he said with a sheepish smile. Draco smiled.   
“Hey, Potter!” _Ouch. Still Potter_. “I heard you got moved to Spain, yeah? What’s that all about?” he asked, genuinely interested. Harry gulped.   
“Well, y’know. I wanted a change of scenery, the culture there is amazing, and I already speak Spanish, so why not?” he croaked. He blinked. “I’m sorry, I’ve got some sort of cold. It’s making my voice come off shaky,” he lied, smiling. Draco waved it off.   
“Ah, it’s nothing. Just don’t give it to me, and we’re good,” he laughed. Harry forced a smile.   
“So, ah, you got everything back yet?” Harry asked, pointing to his head. He already knew the answer, but had to change the topic. Draco sighed.   
“Last I checked my remembrall, no, and I’ve not had any revelations since,” he admitted. “I don’t have it with my at the moment, I didn’t have anywhere to keep it on me- I think Pansy’s got it in her purse, though,” he thought out loud. He twisted in his seat, searching the dance floor, until he found Pansy and called her over. Before she’d even reached the table, she’d pulled out the remembrall and was holding it out to Draco. He smiled sheepishly as she tutted.   
“I swear, you’re addicted to that thing, Draco. I’m not taking it back, you’re stuck with it the rest of the night,” she decided, turning back to the dance floor and rejoining her friends. Draco sighed, looking at the orb that had turned red as soon as Pansy had handed it to him. Draco looked up to Harry and shook the orb.   
“So, to answer your question, no,” he concluded with a bittersweet smile. He rolled it across to Harry, who picked it up. Instead of turning white, however, the fog remained red. Harry blinked.   
“Shit, what have I forgotten?” he thought out loud. Draco shrugged.   
“I dunno, shaving?” he guessed. Harry brought a hand up to his jaw and felt stubble.   
“Wait, you’re right! I was going to shave! I just stood up in front of everyone Ron and Hermione know looking like a tramp-” he thought out loud, rubbing his face angrily as the fog swirled white. Draco shrugged.   
“Calm down, you look good unshaved. It suits you,” he remarked. Harry blinked owlishly.  
“Uh. Thanks?” Harry said, chuckling. Draco snapped to, realizing what he’d said.   
“Wait, no- not like that-” he protested. Harry laughed.   
“No, no, it’s fine. I.. I know,” he reassured Draco, the brief laughter already replaced with a vice in his gut. He rolled the remembrall back to Draco, where it turned red without a moment’s delay. Draco groaned.   
“What the hell is it!?” Draco asked the ball angrily, jostling it. “Why can’t these things tell you what you’ve forgotten?” he complained. Harry shrugged.   
“Y’know, Draco.. If nobody’s filled you in on what it is that you’ve forgotten yet, maybe they think you’d be better off not knowing?” Harry suggested. Draco scoffed.   
“I can’t be better off not knowing something,” Draco protested. “That’s impossible. I need to know everything. I’m a know-it-all.” Harry shrugged with a laugh.  
“I won’t deny that. But, just.. think about that, yeah? Maybe you should just accept that it’s for the best by now. Or, if not now, then soon. This can’t be healthy,” he insisted, rising to leave. Draco nodded.   
“I.. Alright. If I don’t have it by… how’s about a year after? That still gives me a while. If I don’t have it by then, I’ll just let it go,” he accepted. Harry’s knot of hurt had returned, but he forced himself to act nonchalant through it.   
“Sounds good. I should go- I’ll see you around, Draco,” he concluded. Draco nodded, still staring at the remembrall.   
“Afternoon, Potter.” Harry pursed his lips, trying to dismiss the formal attitude. He acted nonchalant as he swerved through the crowd, towards the burrow, and into the bathroom, but as soon as the door was shut behind him he let himself cry long and hard.


	8. Chapter 8

_Tink_. A single tear drop crashed against the picture frame, splattering across Draco and Harry’s faces behind the small panel of glass. The picture in the frame didn’t move or react, because Harry had developed it in a muggle store, and that was probably one of his favorite things about it. He sighed and wiped the glass dry with his sleeve before wiping his eyes and sticking the picture back into his desk drawer, zoning in instead on the pile of papers on his desk that he had to fill out about his last criminal chase. 

\--

“I mean, I know it’s nothing that happened before or during school,” Draco explained. “I remember everything about that. There’s just some.. blank spots.. after that. They start.. I dunno, I think it’s a couple months before the incident? I can’t be sure though,” he admitted, pacing he and Ron’s office. Ron hummed, searching through his stack of CDs to find something to listen to. “I bumped into Harry at your wedding,” Draco stated. Ron’s attention piqued.   
“Oh, yeah? What happened?” he asked, trying to sound bored. _Speaking of Harry.._ He pulled out a CD that Harry had made for him right after he’d started collecting.   
“I asked him about the remembrall thing after a little bit. He got kinda weird about it, actually. He said that I should give up. I mean, what kind of motivation is that? I mean, I know he thinks it’s for the best or something like that, since we’re kinda friends, but really, how could that be good for me?” he cried. Ron sighed.   
“Harry’s weird, Draco,” he stated. He opened the CD case and glanced over the list of songs that Harry had scribbled onto it. _Ah, track 7 is my favorite,_ he thought. He popped it into the CD player and turned it on.   
“You don’t have to tell me twice. Oh, and I- okay this is going to sound weird for me to randomly confide, but you’re promising not to tell anyone because I say so and I guess I trust you after chasing criminals with you a few times. I accidentally fucking _flirted_ with him. _How embarrassing is that?_ I didn’t even know I was doing it!” he groaned, rubbing his eyes. Ron froze for a second before breaking into laughter.   
“Ah- oh, god, that’s great. Well, I mean, if you’re into that..” Ron started, smiling. Draco groaned.   
“Shut it, Weasel,” he whined. “This is where we suddenly bond like giggling teenage girls and you don’t make fun of me for what I say while I’m ranting,” he ordered. Ron chuckled.   
“I wasn’t making fun of you. I was going to tell you that if you’re into that, Harry’s pretty damn gay,” he confided. Draco’s head snapped up.   
“What, really?” he asked. Ron nodded. He turned back to his CD player, flipping through to song 7. Draco froze as the song started. Ron opened his mouth to talk, but Draco shushed him. “Wait. This song is familiar.”   
The song ebbed and flowed, and as soon as the chorus hit, Draco knew where he’d heard it before. That same chorus had been playing while he passed a bottle of firewhiskey back and forth with Harry, and the song had been wrapping as he’d climbed on top of him and kissed him for the first time, firewhiskey breath swapped passionately as Harry’s hand picked track continued to play over them. Draco inhaled sharply as the memories came pouring in- ruffled hair, sleepy kisses, first times, and morning cuddles, along with other things, and as their last morning together fell into place, Draco’s knees buckled and he landed on the floor next to his desk. He buried his face in his hands.   
“Oh god. Oh my god. _Oh my god_ ,” he cried, tears beginning to form in his eyes. He slumped against his desk as Ron crouched down next to him. The remembrall rolled from his desk and landed in his lap.   
“Draco, what’s wrong? Do you need help? Are you okay?” Ron fussed, buzzing over him as his mother would have. Draco looked down at the remembrall in his lap and sniffed, feeling tears spill over. He held it up so Ron could see. The fog had turned white.


	9. Chapter 9

Ron was speechless. “Wait. So you.. Harry.. You remember?” he stuttered. Draco sniffed and dropped the remembrall, bringing his hands up to wipe his eyes as he nodded.   
“I- I’m- Oh my god,” Draco cried. “That song, that.. was playing. When we.. happened,” he explained. Ron glanced at his CD player, which was still cheerfully singing the tune. He stood up and offered Draco a hand, lifting him to his feet. Draco stumbled back to his chair, sitting without speaking or focusing on anything in particular. “I.. fuck. What do I do now?” he wondered out loud. He gasped and jumped to his feet. “Shit, what do I _do!?_ I have to talk to him. Now,” he declared. He spun around and grabbed the remembrall from the floor, spinning back to Ron. “I’m going to the Madrid headquarters. Don’t wait up for me.”

\--

The green flames licked through the last open Floo fireplace in the Madrid lobby, bursting forward as Draco erupted through them. He stormed up to the desk, ignoring the steady flow of people leaving. He stopped in front of a baffled receptionist, crossing his arms defensively in front of himself.   
“Potter. Harry Potter. Where is he?” he demanded. The woman opened her mouth, closed it, and looked around helplessly.   
“Ah.. ¿Señor Potter?” she asked slowly. Draco nodded. The woman stood and spoke very, very slowly. “Lo siento. No hablo inglés.” She was drawing out her vowels and talking to him as if he were a child. Draco hated her immediately. She scanned through the crowd behind Draco desperately, looking like a kid who’d lost her mother. Suddenly, she gasped and began waving her hand. “¡Señor Jones!” she called. A man turned and walked over, engaging her in conversation that Draco didn’t even bother to try listening to. He turned to Draco.   
“Where are you from, what’s your business here, and so on?” he asked, blessedly, in perfect English. Draco could have cried of relief. Instead, he pulled out his wallet and showed the man his Ministry ID.   
“From the London base. I’m here to see, ah.. Mr. Harry Potter. It’s.. well, it’s actually personal business,” he admitted, his gaze wandering nervously. The man looked over Draco’s ID and hummed for a moment before turning around and shooting the receptionist a quick question in Spanish. She replied and he nodded, giving her thanks.   
“Yeah, thought so.. He’s gone. His shift ended about a half hour ago, sorry,” the man told him. Draco felt ready to fall through the floor.   
“Shit,” he muttered quietly. “I.. ah, bollocks. D’you have his address? This is.. This is pretty important,” he stuttered. The man- Mr. Jones?- gave him a once over, pursing his lips.   
“Swear I know you from somewhere,” he muttered. “I.. well, I can’t really give out personal information of employees, y’know?” he stated apologetically. Draco groaned and rubbed his hand down his face. “But.. I swear you look familiar,” he insisted. Draco raised his eyebrow.   
“I’ve never seen you before in my life,” he countered bluntly. Mr. Jones shrugged.   
“Well, I guess it was someone else- No! Wait! That was definitely you!” he gushed. “In a picture. Harry has it on his desk. I share an office with him,” he explained. Draco felt his heart swell.   
“He.. He has a picture of me still?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck. “I.. wow. But- god, I really should have taken the time difference into account before I came here,” he admitted, shoulders drooping. “I really didn’t want to wait to see him, I guess..” Mr. Jones sighed.   
“Well.. I know you know him now, yeah? I think I can give you directions.”


	10. Chapter 10

Draco had never felt so nervous in his life. And it wasn’t even the Dark Lord he was facing this time- it was a door. A bloody _door_. He picked up his hand to knock, pulled it back, gave it a little speed and- stopped. _I can’t do this. Oh my god, I can’t do this. Why didn’t he just remind me? Why did he want me to forget?_ He wondered. He scrunched up his eyes and huffed. _Well. I guess I’ll find out._ He finally, finally, knocked. One rap of the knuckles, then a second, and a third for good measure. The sound seemed to drill into his ears, echoing tauntingly down the corridor. He waited. _One second, two seconds, three se-_  
“I’m coming!” called a voice from inside. Draco clenched his jaw and lowered his hand, holding his arms stiffly at his sides. _I could still run. I could run down the stairs and out the-_  
The door swung open, and Draco was face-to-face with Harry for the first time in what felt like lifetimes longer than the few months since the wedding.   
“I.. Hi, Dr- ah, Malfoy,” Harry stuttered, blinking in surprise. He was still wearing his button-up from work, but it was untucked and undone completely, making way for his white undershirt to show off his lean torso. Draco tried and failed to swallow the lump in his throat.   
“Hi, Potter,” he started. “I, ah.. I thought I should let you know that.. well, shit,” he sighed. “ _Harry_. I remembered. I remember everything,” he admitted. Harry froze.   
“I.. you.. really? _Everything?_ ” he whispered, seemingly awestruck. Draco nodded.   
“Fuck- yes, yes everything,” he cried, raking his hand through his hair and turning it into a mess. Harry didn’t move. He couldn’t. He felt as if this were all a hallucination- one shift of his stance or breath from his lungs could send it all crashing down and leave him alone again.   
“I.. I…” Harry breathed, unable to find his words. Draco had been balancing on the edge the entire time, tightroping, not allowing himself to throw himself entirely into Harry’s intoxicating presence, but found that he didn’t really care anymore. He let himself fall from the tightrope, landing in Harry’s open arms. He wrapped his arms tightly around Harry’s middle, and Harry threw his arms around Draco’s neck, reeling him in tighter as he buried his face into Draco’s neck.   
“ _Oh my god_ ,” Harry breathed against his neck. Draco nodded slightly.   
“Yeah. I was thinking the same thing.” Harry untucked himself from Draco’s neck and found that his face was wet- when had he started crying? But then he decided that he didn’t really care, and instead used his arms around Draco’s neck to pull him closer and slam their lips together. The blonde groaned, tilting his head to get a better angle, filling his senses with a smell and taste so long gone. His hands roamed restlessly over Harry’s back, finally settling firmly around his waist as they parted slowly. Their hearts were in their throats and their breathing ragged, far from in sync but farther from disconnected. Harry swallowed, peering over Draco’s shoulder into the hallway.   
“..Why don’t you come inside?” he offered, tugging Draco through the door. Draco nodded, following him and kicking the door shut behind him. He didn’t let go of Harry, however, and instead of releasing him once inside he turned him around and leaned him against the door. Draco lowered his forehead to Harry’s shoulder, resting and thinking.   
“..Sorry, I just- I need a moment,” he explained. Harry nodded slightly and rubbed Draco’s back lightly with his fingers, needing to touch him even though they were still wrapped together. He picked up his head and pressed a quick kiss to Harry’s forehead, unable to help himself. “Harry,” he started. Harry locked his bright green eyes onto Draco’s.   
“Yes?” Harry prompted. Draco sighed.   
“We should sit down. And.. and talk about this,” he decided. Harry sighed.   
“I.. Yeah. We probably should.”

\---

“So. I’m.. I’m going to start with the obvious question here,” Draco braced, wringing his hands together. They’d moved to Harry’s living room, where they were sitting across from one another in separate seats. Harry nodded, staring at the navy blue rug as though he wanted it to open up and swallow him. Draco took a breath and steeled himself. “..Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, voice shaking. Harry closed his eyes and exhaled before leaning back in his chair and finally making eye contact.   
“I.. felt too guilty. You were just, so anxious about us- about telling people about us- that you seemed ill. You.. you were shaky, and scared, and I felt so bad for doing that to you, that when I saw an out for you, I.. I did what I felt was right, I guess. I wanted to take that weight off of your shoulders, so you could be happy again,” he choked off, his eyes welling. Draco’s heart dropped.   
“Harry..” he mumbled, standing. He walked over to Harry’s chair and placed a hand on either armrest, pinning him with his eyes. “Harry, I was happy. I was _so_ happy with you. It was just fear of the future, not me wishing I wasn’t with you,” he countered. “Since we’d been together, I was the happiest I’d ever been in my life.” Harry’s mouth pressed into a wobbled line and he averted his gaze. “Harry,” Draco insisted, taking him gently by the chin.   
“I’m sorry,” Harry breathed, reaching forward and grabbing him by the shirt. Draco climbed onto Harry’s lap, holding him tight in his arms. Harry buried his face into Draco’s neck, breathing him in and beating back tears. “I’m so glad you’re back, Draco.”  
“I’m just as happy to be back, trust me,” Draco assured with a smirk. Harry grinned and picked up his head, meeting him for another kiss.   
It was good to be home, even in Madrid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue will be posted either tonight (Jul. 28) or tomorrow. <3


	11. Epilogue

Laughter and chatter rose and flowed through the large yard of the Burrow as a light breeze blew through, skidding the dried orange and yellow leaves across the landscape. Draco smiled and greeted a relative as Harry sent another off with a grin. Cameras snapped and cheers resonated throughout the area as Harry and Draco clinked glasses, cut cake, smashed said cake into each other’s faces, and laughed hysterically together. Their antics slowed when an authoritative clink of a spoon against a glass called attention to Ron.   
“As Harry’s best man, I’d like to say a few words,” he began. A wolf whistle rose from the dining tables, and Harry bemusedly watched as Hermione flushed and insisted that it had not came from her. Ron smiled and continued to his speech.   
“I originally was fascinated with Harry, simply because he was Harry Potter. Boy Who Lived, and all that- you know the tales,” he said with a grin. “I expected so much. I knew he was only my age, but in my mind, he was this heroic figure- Potter Boy Wonder, strikes down You-Know-Who with a wave of his baby hand!” he exclaimed, mimicking the effect with his own hands. Harry covered his eyes in mock embarrassment as Draco laughed.   
“But then I met him, and he.. He was just a kid, you know? He was just like me, but different. It tore down my dream of a superhero, and he slowly replaced it with the reality; which, given time, was even better than what I’d imagined. He isn’t just the one who effortlessly defeated an evil, he’s the one who worked hard day and night to protect those he loves and cares about. He isn’t just an icon on a newspaper, he’s a living, breathing, human being. And, most importantly, he isn’t just my hero.” Ron smiled and looked to Harry again. “He’s my brother.” Harry sniffed and wiped at his eyes under his glasses, his smile radiating.   
“And you’d think, with me thinking so ridiculously highly of my brother here, that I’d have some pretty high standards for anyone to date him, right?” he asked the audience. They whooped and hollered back. “That’s what I thought, too,” he grinned. “I’d think, wow, I literally cannot think of a girl that could ever be good enough for him by my standards. But, then, you know, he told me he was gay, so that solved that problem.” Harry flushed bright red, but laughed along with Draco and those gathered.   
“But in all seriousness. I had a specific mental checklist to evaluate his options. First, they had to be kindhearted. Second, they had to have good intentions for Harry. Third, they had to be able to recite the entirety of Quidditch Through The Ages backwards.” He grinned. “I mean, that one was optional, I guess,” he ceded with a glance to Draco. “But my checklist wasn’t necessary, because Harry found his person on his own. He found someone where I least expected it- the other side of my office, actually- and I have to admit, he made a pretty great selection. Kindhearted? Check. Good intentions? Check. Reciting Quidditch Through The Ages backwards? Work in progress.  
“I originally was fascinated with Harry, simply because he was Harry Potter, Boy Who Lived. And now I'm still fascinated with Harry, because he’s now Harry Malfoy, Boy Who Loved, too. Welcome to the cozy family, Draco.” Ron raised his glass. “To the happy couple.” The crowd gave a ‘cheers’, and Ron retook his seat. Harry fanned himself, trying not to cry, but Draco had given up on that already and was quietly dabbing tears away with a cloth napkin. He tapped Harry’s shoulder and pressed a kiss to his cheekbone, smiling at him. Harry’s smile was giant.   
“He’s not too shabby at that whole ‘public speaking’ thing,” Harry commented. Draco smiled and squeezed Harry’s hand, marveling at how lucky he was to have him.   
“No, not at all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The misters Malfoy later have twin daughters, Lily and Narcissa. Draco insists they'll both be Slytherin, Harry insists they'll both be Gryffindor, yet when the time comes, Lily is sorted to Hufflepuff and Narcissa to Ravenclaw. (Harry and Draco realize that they really should have expected that.)
> 
> Thank you for reading! The kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. <3


End file.
